Author
Topic: Red Dog's pit - I finally started (Read 861159 times)

Marvin

RD thanks for the compliments. You and Marvin are obviously the voice of reason. I'm probably overcomplicating things but it just stuck in my head that I MUST have Dzus rails!

Nikolas

Nikolas,

I think we all make or made that mistake. When we first set out on this goal we all want one thing. And that is as real as it gets.. However, due to money, information, or just a pain in the butt, we sometimes need to compromise. I don't think anyone should feel the lesser, if they made a compromise and did not have something that was authentic. For me, I just want to use my pit, and quit building and spending money on it. So I made many compromises to get me where I am now. And that is Flying!!!

I have taken aluminum dowel rod that 3/8" round, drilled a hole in it, and countersunk the one end used a slotted flat head screw to make fake Dzus fasteners. I think the screw was an 8-32 or 6-32 flathead.

I had to turn the head down a little to get the right diameter, but they looked dead nuts on and can be screwed in-out like a normal screw.

Quote from: "Kabar03"

I agree, the capscrews are a good compromise, they look good on Jody's pit. I was thinking of using a 1/4-20 capscrew, then making castings for the screwslot in resin as inserts, anyhow,, the way I see it, our pits are just big wonderful fasads anyway .

Since the Dzus rails got for the price of gold, I like the aluminum angleidea and will probably follow down that path. For those decking their pits out with 99.9% real parts, its probably more logical to go the real Dzuz route.

Well, I lost the Dzus studs on ebay, so I took it as a sign and desided to listen to the voice of reason. I'll make fake ones like the one in RD's photos and save my machining time for where it counts. I made a sample (will post a pic in my thread when I get my camera back).

Worked on finishing the left aux by adding the TWA from Mike with my homemade photoetched buttons. 3 of the 4 are working pushbuttons, the last one (ACTIVITY) is only an indicator)I also made the small plastic part for securing the ALT GEAR handle. Since I don't have the real one, I used an AGT handle.

I also made some progress on the right front glareshield by making the tabs for the eyebrow assy and preparing the center edge to be able to install the DED.I will soon break my theets on that one

And now, the big victory of the week After all it's Christmas I finally have a homemade solution to my stick base problem. This is not 100% acceptable, but it will have to do until I find better:

The stick is a special FCC made smaller to fit the dimensions of a real stick base. The base itself is made out of an aluminium cylinder machined on the lathe so the FCC can go inside at a 12? angle. On the bottom the aluminium cylinder is screwed to the aux console so it doesn't move. As you can see, unlike the real one, I attached the stick base to the bottom of the aux and not through the connector part on the angled face of the aux console. The rest is merely eyecandy and consist of a aluminium sheet cut to shape and bent around the cylinder which is attached to the connecting part. the aluminium sheet is also screwed in the cylinder on 4 points.The top of the base (the white part) is made of plastic and will be epoxied on the aluminium in the week, just before painting the stick base grey.

At this time, the stick base is attached to the bottom of the aux with 3 screws but I machined a special wahser so I can attach it on 4 points.

Mike,Well - descending the seat downstairs should happen tomorrow So I guess you'll have a picture before the end of the week

Thanks Marv The forces are actually the same as the standard FCC. I never took the time to measure them properly simply because the CCP allows me to change cougar axis curve on the fly or though a profile.but you know that already :wink:

I made huge progress during the holiday break. The plan was to get the pit upstairs before today and I failed Working on it one day out of 2 (the other being devoted to social life) wasn't enough. But I hope to reach that goal next week.

Here's the first part of the work; as promised the seat was taken downstairs and since it was never installed on the base, it was a little sterssfull... will it fit, will it conflict with the side console, will it suit the front panel placement ... ?

All these questions were answered at once with a big "YES" it fits like a glove

So the first part was to secure the seat onto the base while keeping the possibility to get the seat out and put it on the ground (as it was until now) and still be able to fly. (I don't know why? I just want to keep all doors open)So I started by taking out the two part of the base :And cut slices in the wood so the under part of the seat backside could be inserted into the base (instead of cutting it flush) that will aslo help stabilize the seat and prevent it for falling on its back when I sit in it. The right picture shows the wood part back in place onto the base. the seat just snap into position it doesn't move even unscrewed. I will though screw the bottom of the seat to the base with 4 big bolts ... just in case.

The unpainted shelf is the avionic bay. It comes right behind the front panel, under the glareshield (or the office table) and will support all main electronic components such as the main board for the Xkey, the UCC, some PCBs for lights, the RWR stuff ...It also stabilize the front panel, particularily on the side of the MISC panel and opposite. Indeed, the front panel being made in wood and being full of holes, solidity may be an issue. So the shelf is attached to the side of the front panel to avoid any movement by the wood ... as if it were made out of metal.Here is a picture with the first 2 PCB attached. that is the Xkeys devoted to interfacing only the ICP and MFDs and the circuit PCB for the 3 main component of the front panel.

here's what it gives with the seat attached: Since then I lowered the seat by removing the 18mm spacer between the base and the bottom of the seat.I also got myself a nice present from an old friend in Australia: The inertia lock reel handle : the last part I missed on the seat thanks Dave :!: I also will need to find a solution for interfacing the ejection handle but I'm sure I'll find how to on the forum

I have plenty of other stuff to show you guys, but that will be for later in the week